The Veil of Death
by Bellanaris
Summary: The Veil of Death has existed for millenia, and all that is known about it is that people disappear forever when they go through. But the question is...does it really lead to death or is it something more?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, but real life has kept me pretty busy. Anyways, I suddenly got this idea for a story last night and managed to write this up in a few hours to my satisfaction. Just to let you know this is a story involving time-travel and a female version of Harry. I hope everyone enjoys this story! =o)

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**July 28, 1984 - 6:30 pm - Little Whinging, Surrey**

Marianna Crouch was not a very happy woman, at least not since her husband of seven months had been sent to Azkaban on the orders of his own father nearly three years ago. Her unhappiness had only grown when she miscarried shortly after Barty's trial. The twenty-six year old tried to keep it together, but then the unbearable occurred four months ago. Both Barty and her mother-in-law passed away within days of each other, leaving her alone with only her cruel father-in-law and cold bed for comfort. It was at the funeral for her mother-in-law that Marianna finally came to a decision. She would punish the one responsible for her pain before joining her beloved and their child in the afterlife.

It turned out to be easier than Marianna had originally thought to get a hold of her intended target. All it had taken was a few visits to her spinster of a great-aunt, Arabella Figg, and her multitude of cats to learn the whereabouts of the Girl-Who-Lived. While it was amusing to see Vivienne Potter being treated like a house elf by Muggles, it simply wasn't enough punishment for the child. It was bad enough that the defiant child had dared to defeat the greatest Dark Lord of all times, Voldemort, but it was even worse that her living had led to the death of her husband and child as well. If Vivienne Potter had died like she was supposed to, Barty would never have been on the mission to kill the Longbottoms. Marianna would have revenge.

It didn't take long for Marianna to put her plans into action that day, slipping a bit of Dreamless Sleep into her great-aunt's tea, as well as into the milk for all the little cats scampering around the hovel Arabella called home. When the old woman passed out at the table, she ruthlessly snatched a strand of hair from her head and added it to the vial of Polyjuice Potion Marianna had brewed just for this occasion. Downing the potion and donning the guise of her great-aunt, the bitter woman swept out of the small house and made her way over to Number Four Privet Drive.

Managing to place a benevolent smile over the sneer she knew wanted to emerge at the sight of the useless Muggles, Marianna rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. A horse-faced muggle woman that she knew to be Petunia Dursley answered the door. "Oh, Mrs. Figg, I'm so glad you were able to come on such short notice. Vernon and I are taking Dudley out for the evening. He deserves a prize for being such a good boy, and we don't want to take my niece with us. She has been very naughty today. If you would be so kind, please make sure she goes to bed early, no dessert. I've already fed her. If she gets out of a hand, you are more than welcome to use a firm hand on her." And with that said, Petunia Dursley shoved a tiny, dark-haired girl out of the door and closed it behind her. Wide emerald green eyes stared up at her, and for a moment, Marianna was taken with the small child. But she ruthlessly squashed that feeling down as she took Vivienne Potter by the hand and began to lead her back towards her great-aunt's home.

Giving the child a small smile, Marianna swept past her aunt's house and headed for the small park nearby, quite aware that it was outside of the supposed wards placed by Albus Dumbledore. Once inside the park, she drew the child towards a secluded area, noticing that the park was mostly empty due to the lateness of the hour. The little girl looked up at Marianna with such trusting eyes, and for a moment, she doubted herself before squashing it yet again and pulling out of her wand. A quickly whispered stupefy made the child fall limply to the ground, unconscious. A sigh escaped her as she bent down and picked up the unconscious Vivienne Potter, cradling the child firmly in her arms. She was quite pretty in her own way, and yet she did have to die. 'It was for the Greater Good after all.' And with that final thought, Marianna apparated from the park to their final destination.

**July 28, 1984 - 8 pm - British Ministry of Magic**

The hurried clicks of heels echoed through the empty corridors leading to the Department of Mysteries. A cloaked figure swiftly made her way through the winding maze towards the Death Chamber and her ultimate goal, a small, unconscious child held firmly in her grasp. Pausing before a large, fluttering veil, the figure freed one hand to push back her hood, revealing cold brown eyes and mildly pretty features framed by dark blonde locks of hair hanging limply. A sneer twisted her thin lips as she looked down at the child in her arms, disgusted at the sight of the child's tangled black curls and the lightning bolt scar on her pale forehead. A crazed hiss escaped the woman as she pulled the child up to her eye level, holding her with one hand. "For all your crimes, for being the reason my Barty ended up dead in Azkaban and the reason our Lord is dead, I sentence you to death, Vivienne Potter. May you suffer for your crimes for eternity and beyond!" As the last word echoed through the chamber, she uncaringly hurled the child through the Veil.

A satisfied smirk curved her lips as she watched the Girl-Who-Lived fall through the Veil of Death, her eyes not leaving the sight until the sound of running feet and yells caught her attention. Brown eyes glittered crazily as she turned to face the Aurors and Unspeakables spilling into the room. Wands were leveled at the tall woman as she lifted her chin slightly and stared at them. One Auror she recognized to be Amelia Bones, a former classmate of hers, took a step towards her. "Marianna Crouch, lay down your wand and step away from the Veil slowly. I am sure that we can resolve this peacefully," the Auror stated calmly, her cool grey eyes resting completely on the crazed figure before her. "Oh, it is far too late for that, Bones. I've already taken care of the most important things I had to do tonight. The little Potter bitch is paying for her crimes now."

Amelia Bones frowned at the clearly delusional woman before trying to stall for time and allow the others to sneak into a better position. "What do you mean, Marianna? Vivienne Potter is only three. What possible crimes could she have committed in her short life?" Another step was taken back towards the Veil as the woman quivered with sudden anger, "What crimes?! You dare ask me what crimes that devil spawn committed?! She is the reason my dearest love is dead! She is the reason my mother-in-law is dead! She is the reason my baby didn't survive! That brat should have died when the Dark Lord attacked! And now…I've rectified that little problem." Another laugh escaped Marianna as she gazed directly into Amelia's eyes and took another step back. "I'm coming, my love…" was the last thing Marianna Crouch said before stepping back through the Veil of Death to the shock of everyone there.

**July 28, 1978 - 8:15 pm - British Ministry of Magic - Department of Mysteries**

Unspeakable Dorea Potter nee Black looked up from her worktable as a slight breeze wound its way through the Death Chamber, where she was currently working. Dark grey eyes turned towards the Veil in the center of the room, widening slightly in surprise at the sight before her. The runes etched into the framework of the Veil began to glow eerily as the voices that normally whispered from its depths began to increase in volume and intensity. The wind began to whip furiously within the chamber as she watched. Dorea slid a hand beneath her worktable, one finger pressing the small rune placed there to alert the other Unspeakables in case of an emergency. With a deft twist of her wrist, her wand slid into her other hand as she rose gracefully to her feet.

The fifty-two year old Pureblood witch had seen many things during her life and career as an Unspeakable, but nothing prepared her what happened next. A startled gasp escaped her as a small body flew through the Veil, and only years of doing the same for her only son James allowed her the speed to cast a cushioning charm at the marble floor just before the body hit. All thoughts of possible danger flew from Dorea's head as her mothering instincts came to the forefront of her mind. She rushed over to the fallen body, swiftly taking in the small, lightweight form of an unconscious child no more than three years old. She dropped to her knees beside the child, and began casting what first aid spells she had learned over the course of raising her son. Reassured that there were no broken bones or vertebrae within the child's spine and neck, Dorea scooped the limp body off the floor and gently cradled her in her arms, moving away from the Veil.

The sound of footsteps drew Dorea's gaze to the entrance just as her boss and two of her co-workers entered the room and approached her. "What is it, Agent Potter? Why did you set off the alarm?" A delicately shaped dark brow arched as Dorea simply stared at the three men before speaking in a calm, yet chilly voice. "Do you not have eyes in your head, Agent Prewett? Can you not see the child in my arms nor the fact that the runes on the Veil are glowing?" Even as she said this, the wind began to pick up once more and drew the attention of the men and Dorea. The men watched in shock as a woman's body fell through the Veil and hit the floor, luckily where the cushioning charm had been cast earlier. And with that, the runes lost their glow and the voices died down, leaving three men staring at the downed woman in shock as Dorea walked out of the Chamber with the child in her arms, whispering softly to her, "It'll be okay, little one. I'll take care of you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I was surprised to see the response to the prologue of this story. I'm glad that so many people are interested in my story so far. I'd really like to hear my readers' thoughts on this story. Any thoughts, questions, criticisms? I hope you like this next chapter! =o)

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**British Department of Mysteries - July 28, 1978 - 8:30 pm**

Dorea sat calmly at the bedside of the little girl that had come through the Veil, impatiently waiting as the Healer in the Unspeakables' Hospital Wing looked over her. It had been discovered that the child was simply knocked out from a stupefy curse. While they had removed the curse, they had spelled her into a sleeping state until they could address any health issues the small child might have had. It was apparent in the way Adelaide Montgomery, the Healer, held herself that she was very angry with the state of the child's health., but the woman had yet to share anything with Dorea.

Adelaide gently lifted the child's hand and used her wand to prick a tiny finger, drawing just a few drops of blood to add to a vial of bright blue potion on the bedside. Healing the girl's finger, the Healer looked back to the potion, waiting impatiently until it turned from bright blue to a sickly-looking yellow hue. She glanced at Dorea before taking out a blank piece of parchment and dropping precisely ten drops of the potion upon it. With that complete, Adelaide turned to Dorea and sighed softly. "This poor child…whomever her guardians are, they should be sent to Azkaban. She is so malnourished and underweight, not to mention the bruises and evidence of previously broken bones. And then that scar…" The Healer broke off with another sigh, glancing at the parchment where the potion is beginning to work.

Dorea reached over and grasped the unconscious child's hand, gently rubbing the top of her hand. "What about the scar, Adelaide?" The Healer tore her eyes away from the parchment to look at Dorea to whisper intently, "It's a curse scar. Someone tried to use the killing curse on this child. How she survived is a mystery…" A gasp escaped Dorea before she could stop herself. "Poor little thing. It might be best if we keep that to ourselves, Adelaide. You know how the others would be if they found out," she whispered back, "How old is she?" "We'll know in a moment, Dorea," Adelaide murmured before looking back at the parchment.

It was tense for the next few minutes as the two women waited impatiently for the potion to finish its job. Finally the parchment stopped glowing and writing began to appear upon it. Adelaide glanced at her friend once before reaching for the parchment to see what it would reveal about their little guest. A startled gasp escaped the Healer as she stared wide-eyed at the potion-treated parchment before looking back at her friend. Dorea looked at Adelaide impatiently before taking the parchment from her and reading it herself. There were several thing written on there, but the most important facts that caught Dorea's eyes were these. The little girl was nearly four years old, her birthday being in three days. And yet, according to this, she would not even be born for six years. And in what was perhaps the most important point of all, she was her grandchild, the child of her son and his wife. Quickly making a decision, Dorea stood up and gathered the small child in her arms, stating out loud. "As Matriarch of the most Ancient and Honorable House of Potter, I, Dorea Elise Black Potter, recognize Vivienne Grace Potter as my blood and take her into my protection, for so long as breath is in my body and blood in my veins. So mote it be." Adelaide stared at her friend and whispered in response as a faint glow outlined the pair, "So mote it be."

A disgruntled sigh from the doorway caught the attention of both woman, drawing their eyes to the tall, red-headed male standing there, shaking his head. "You would make a claim on the child before she could be questioned, Dorea," he muttered, shaking his head once more. Dark gray eyes narrowed as Dorea drew her newly discovered granddaughter's small body closer, "She is only three, Prewett. I wouldn't have let you question her even if she wasn't of my blood." A chuckle escaped the man as he straightened up, "Relax, Dorea, I don't blame you for it. I would have done the same. In fact, I, Alexander Bilius Prewett, scion of the Honorable House of Prewett, vow to aid Dorea Elise Black Potter in her quest to protect her grandchild, Vivienne Grace Potter from all that would seek to harm her. So mote it be." The two startled woman uttered the customary response before shaking themselves of their surprise.

Adelaide laughed softly at the look on her old friend's face, "Alex, you old softy, you just love to pull one over on Dorea, don't you?" "Of course, Addie," the redhead laughed as well before becoming serious once more, "and now that that is out of the way, let's move on to more serious matters. Dorea, I would really like another set of eyes watching while I interrogate the woman who came through the veil after the child. Knowing what the Ministry used to use the Veil for in the past, we can only assume that she is a criminal of some sort." Pressing a soft kiss on the forehead of her sleeping grandchild, Dorea tucked the little girl back into the bed, nodding once at Adelaide before turning back to Alex, "I wouldn't miss this for the world, Alex." And with that, both Alex and Dorea swept out of the room, leaving Adelaide to watch over her young charge.

~*~

With a groan, Marianna Crouch awakened with a start and tried to lift a hand to cover her eyes from the bright light shining in them. Tried, being the operative word, as Marianna discovered that she was restrained with what was obviously a spell. Her brown eyes widened in mute shock as she caught sight of a tall, red-haired male standing before her. She didn't understand what was going on. Barty was supposed to meet her after she died. So why was Alexander Prewett standing in front of her? The last she had heard of him was his death at the hands of several Death Eaters.

Sitting down at the table across from her, the Unspeakable regarded Marianna calmly as he clasped his hands in front of him. "Well, young lady, I believe that you and I are going to get to know each other quite well. Agent Harris, if you would be so kind…" Marianna opened her mouth to say something, and was cut off by several drops of a tasteless potion being tossed in as a hand held her by the hair. Choking slightly on the liquid, she swallowed convulsively before feeling it begin to take effect, leaving her with a hazy feeling swamping her head.

Dispassionately, Alexander Prewett watched as the Veritaserum took effect, the young woman's eyes taking on a glazed look. Nodding once to Dorea, who triggered the dictating quill to begin taking notes, he looked to their prisoner and spoke firmly, "Date: Friday, July 28th, 1978 at 9 pm in the evening…this is Unspeakable Agent Alexander Prewett for the Department of Mysteries interrogating a prisoner sent through the Veil of Death under the influence of Veritaserum. Witnesses are Unspeakable Agent Dorea Potter and Unspeakable Agent Clark Harris. First question: Prisoner, please state your name and date of birth for the record."

Marianna tried, but found herself unable to stop from answering truthfully, "My name is Marianna Delores Figg Crouch, born on April 28th, 1958." She couldn't focus, barely even noticed as the three Unspeakables in the room exchanged looks before beginning the questioning again. "Why did you go through the Veil of Death, Marianna?"

"I wanted to join my Barty in the afterlife. I miss him so much," she answered as her head lolled back against the chair. "Your Barty? What happened to Barty?" "He died in Azkaban after his creep of a father sentenced him to life for his part in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom on November 1, 1981." Alexander Prewett glanced at Dorea again before asking another question, "Why did Barty torture the Longbottoms, Marianna?" A strange laugh escaped the drugged woman as she answered him, "Because that was the orders the Dark Lord gave him and the Lestranges before he was killed by the Girl-Who-Lived."

"The Girl-Who-Lived?" "Oh, yes, that little Potter brat. She killed the Dark Lord when she should have died. This is all her fault." Alexander frowned slightly before leaning closer to ask more questions, "Please tell us everything you know about the day the Dark Lord was murdered, Marianna." Marianna lifted her head and focused hazy eyes on the man questioning her, "It was October 31, 1981 when the Dark Lord decided to attack the Potters at Godric's Hollow in Wales himself. No one really knew why he decided to attack that blood traitor James Potter and his mudblood wife Lily Potter, but he killed them both. And then he tried to kill their one-year old daughter, Vivienne, but when he fired the killing curse at her, it rebounded and destroyed him instead. Not even the great Albus Dumbledore seemed to know why."

Dorea closed her eyes at hearing the news of her son and daughter-in-law's death before regaining her composure long enough to listen to the next question given to the young woman. "How did Vivienne Potter end up going through the Veil?" Another laugh escaped Marianna as she answered him, "I tossed her through it. It's all her fault that the Dark Lord and my Barty died. She deserved to die, but it seems she can't even do that. Maybe I should have left her with her muggle relatives. She made a rather interesting house elf for the disgusting beasts." "What do you mean about muggle relatives and a house elf?" The question escaped Dorea before she could stop herself. An insane giggle escaped the drugged woman again, "Oh, yes, with all her family being dead, Dumbledore decided to leave the little girl with her mother's family. It was insanely easy to find the child considering they left my squib of a great-aunt as a little bodyguard in the neighborhood. Just a strand of her hair and a bit of polyjuice, and Lily Potter's ugly muggle of a sister thought I was my aunt. Heh, though I suppose with the way they treated the brat, they would have gone along with what I did without the subterfuge. It was amusing to watch them force the girl to do all those chores, and even more amusing to watch some of the punishments they gave her for not completing them."

Alexander Prewett gave a wary glance towards Dorea, quite certain that he would find her to be intensely angry by now. The look of cold fury on the witch's face prompted his nod to Agent Harris, who immediately stunned the captured prisoner. Cancelling the spells on the dictation quill, Alexander gathered up the parchment log and rose to his feet, leaving Agent Harris to return the unconscious woman to a private, solitary cell within the depths of the Department of Mysteries. He grasped Dorea by the arm, drawing her out of the interrogation room before murmuring quietly to her, "Calm down, Dorea. I know that you're angry, and I don't blame you. But now we have the chance to fix things so that this doesn't happen. For now, take your granddaughter home, and see your family. In fact, take the weekend off, and we'll resume questioning on Monday. I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you fix the future." Dorea took a deep, calming breath before nodding slowly in response to her superior. Drawing her arm away, she turned on her heel and walked away back towards the infirmary where she had left her granddaughter earlier.


End file.
